butterflies in open arms
by berryargento
Summary: Between them, it's always wordless approaches and clumsy attempts of showing affection.—domestic!AU


A/N: Enjoy some more domestic umimaki (and ofc sorry for the poor English as usual)

This is a tumblr repost, for anyone who wants to indulge in UmiMaki sweetness =w=

* * *

"Congratulations on your new book release!"

Sonoda Umi was surprised to see that two of her friends greeted her at the coffee shop after her signing session ended. Honoka and Nozomi were there, clapped their hands frantically as Umi looked to her feet, embarassed. Umi treated Nozomi and Honoka to Frappuccino as their conversation goes.

The infamous novelist with a no name launched her third best-seller books today, and the first actual signing event was held in the same day, bustling with different people that enjoyed her writings—Umi never felt so fulfilled.

"By the way," the purple-haired woman clasped her hands. "How is it going with Maki-chan?"

The blue-haired novelist paused, as a weak crattle could be heard over the cup. Honoka looked with wide-kind-of-hopeful-eyes and Nozomi followed suit as the silence grew.

Umi took her time to retrace back, a while when Maki asked her to live together in her apartment. They already going out since their high school days ended, and after they get a hang of working, Umi accepted the offer of living together with the said neurosurgeon. Many things happened; as she get to know unknown sides of Maki and that Maki knows her more. They have been sharing everything in their own ways, supporting each other, getting into problems and solved it together, having an outing—Umi blushed at this—from a simple date to a fancy dinner, doing, _uhh_ , t-their _private time_ together—Umi blushed furiously as Nozomi's trademark smirk went wider—ranged from affectionate cuddle to a serious ones, and—

"Nothing … more?" Umi rolled her eyes. "We are about … two years of living together—"

And suddenly Honoka felt the urge to slam the table. "U~mi~chaaan—"

"Honoka-chan, not now," Nozomi forced a giggle while her expression showed a disappointment, much to Umi's confusion. "So you haven't thinking about the future yet, Umi-chan, and I thought that after a year, you would be … well … _doing_ that kind of move."

Umi tilted her head. Honoka huffed slightly before she showed her fingers—her index finger, to be exact—to direct Umi's attention on the ring there. The ring that Honoka wore is plain aside from a single, gleaming silver gem decoration, so as Nozomi. It took a good while before the lyricist of Muse to understand what they meant.

* * *

"Oh my God, _Maki_ , you are too busy!"

Was something that Nico and Kotori said as both of them accidentally met Maki at the hospital, having her somewhat healthy lunch with her coffee. Though now, unlike past years, a box of lunch is now lying on the table. Nico was visiting her long relative when she suddenly met with Kotori whom having a regular check up, and then they came across Maki and chatted for quite awhile as Maki confirmed that she has no operating schedule until past four pm.

But still, it is irked the two as Maki told them her schedule.

"Something wrong about being a surgeon?" Maki blinked.

"How about Umi?" Nico's brows crinkled. "How can you— _ugh_ —I heard that she's having a signing event and you didn't pay any mind?"

The redhead doctor scratched her cheek, "Uhh, well, I already apologized that I can't come since I'm having three operations today."

Kotori tried to calm Nico's boiling rage down.

"Have you ever thought that Umi-chan might be lonely, Maki-chan?" the grey-haired woman asked. "I mean, you must be going home very late, right?"

Maki fidgeted, "Well … I always arrived when Umi's already asleep …"

"I mean, even this super idol Nico even has a holiday on her tight schedule!" Nico puffed her chest in pride. "So that I can spend my time more with—"

As if on cue, Kotori giggled while Maki smirked, Nico was beet red in embarassment. A certain image of indigo-haired woman came into view.

"W-What's funny!?" the petite of the three choked. "I-I mean, Kotori is _like that_ with Honoka-chan, too! Can't I say something like spending time with _a friend_?"

.

.

.

"Nico-chan, we are already… umm," Kotori showed her right hand, that was under the table all this time, revealing the ring on her pinky. "… engaged."

Now it is the turn for the latter's eyes to bulge.

* * *

"B-but, Maki is busy, I don't think she would have the time to—"

"Umi-chan, please, do you want to be 'in-the-same-house-zoned' for years?" the orange-haired woman pointed at Umi's. "I'm sure that Maki-chan will accept your proposal, if you wanted to propose, of course."

Umi entwined her fingers as she rested her jaw on her connected finger's joints. Her amber eyes glazed to the cafe's window, gazing far to distance her eyes could muster.

Proposal, marriage—those had never crossed her mind since she was already too used at seeing Maki in her life while their status remained that one of long-last girlfriend. They had been together for years already, they already knew hardships of the actual world, they already accepted each other as a couple, what more into it?

"H-How come you didn't tell us? Ugh, I feel so defeated!" Nico grunted.

"I-I wanted to tell you guys, but Honoka-chan insists to keep it as a secret, so—"

The conversation went on as Maki withdrawed herself to ponder about what Nico and Kotori just said earlier.

About Umi.

Her lover, her _everything_.

She tried hard to make Umi feel comfortable, and always checked up on her whether she had a problem or not. Umi never said to her that she is lonely, Umi always said something that Maki didn't need to worry about her and just keep working hard. Umi would have her deadline waiting, but not as intense as how the world flows by in the hospital; being a doctor means that you must be ready to face anything in any time necessary. The blue-haired woman gave her the push to do doctor's job to the fullest.

What is she actually feel about Maki? After all, she's always, always—

"—Hey, Maki, your coffee is going cold there."

"U-ueeh?"

* * *

Umi vividly remembered the day she confessed, as she took a ride home back to their apartment by train.

.

.

.

 _It was kind of the wrong time, as the graduation ceremony being held and she paid a visit to music room for the last time to find a certain redhead cried softly as her hands still fixed over the black and white keys. Her heart ached by the sight, she was unsure as to approach her junior, to tell her that Umi was there to—_

 _"Maki."_

 _The lyricist finally called, hand tightly gripped the doorknob as she bit her lips nervously. Maki gazed to the doorway, her eyes were puffy red and she tried hard to hide her still-teary eyes and her hoarse voice._

 _"W-what is it? I-I thought you already left with Honoka and Kotori."_

 _Umi wanted to politely form a lie, something that she could use to relieve the tense atmosphere and the nervousness that consumed her guts. However, she knew that it is no time for her to run away anymore, no space to back down, it is now or never._

 _"Why are you crying?"_

 _Maki didn't answer, she averted her amethyst orbs completely and Umi couldn't help but to walk closer. She still didn't want to look at Umi at all, not even a single glance spared. The blue-haired girl took the initiative to circled her arms to the pianist's, hugged her from behind as to attract her attention. They spent moments in silence, with Umi not letting her go and Maki closed her eyes, wordlessly stayed, with tears flowed still._

 _"Maki."_

 _"What is it, another 'goodbye's?"_

 _Umi shook her head and she whispered the magic three words._

.

.

.

As Umi arrived at the apartment, she felt her cheek flushed just by having a bit of trip back to the memory lane. Now that she thought about it, her confession sounded a bit off and it came of off as some sad farewell rather than something happier.

—The fact that Maki returned her confession with a kiss on the lips made her cheek shades' went much times redder.

She slumped herself to the sofa at the center room, reaching her jacket pocket to feel an outline of a box. She chose a plain, blue-colored box that wasn't striking much attention to store a silver ring with a small, gleaming sapphire at the center. Maki would look better with red, but she would love to give her a blue color.

A symbolism that Maki is hers, or so she thought when her eyes wondered to pick that ring.

One thing that still gnawed at her was the fact that she didn't know when the right time to give the ring. That day, to be exact, Maki didn't come to her first signing event because she has many operations that she needed to finish, and maybe she would be back in the midnight at best.

Umi huffed and closed the box, eyes wandered to the ceiling.

—Wait.

She snapped her fingers as a surge of an idea came into mind.

* * *

It is past 1 am as Maki arrived back at her apartment. She asked that she would take only one operation for the next day because she handled much than she should today, because she became a substitute surgeon in the last operation. At least, she got some time to rest and sleep, however …

Maki's hand stopped as she about to turn the door handle that lead her to their room, the conversation about Umi this afternoon hit her.

Part of it was true that perhaps she neglected Umi because of her tight work hours and becoming more and more distant as they rarely meet at home eventhough they lived under the same roof about an approximate of two years. Maki was the one who offered Umi to live together, and everything is fine for them, aside from some problem this and problem that.

She finally opened the door to the blackness of the room, her amethyst caught the sight of Umi's back, sleeping soundly.

Ah.

Tonight, she didn't get to talk with Umi again. Maki hadn't have properly congratulate her for the book-signing event. Maki didn't get to bid good morning to her today as she rushed to the hospital in the early morning. This month, last month, _every_ month has been … busy trips to hospital and not even a hour they could spend together.

Eventhough that her body is tired from all the work, nothing could beat her own heartache, nothing could beat her own will to do something for a certain blue-haired woman she loved, and yet—

The bed creaked as Maki crawled to the side, pulling the blanket sheet from Umi's sleeping figure as she crouched nearer. She lied herself beside Umi, hands slipped ever so slowly so that she was close enough as to embrace the blue-haired woman in her arms, even in not-so-perfect condition (it is not easy to bother Umi when she's sleeping, she already learnt that much). Maki snuggled to the crook of Umi's nape, inhaled the hint of her smell and blushed slightly in process.

 _It's alright, Maki, Umi can't see you._

 _Or even, sense your rushed heartbeats from your closeness, your intimate approach._

 _Or perhaps, hearing you mumbling her name for like—the hundreth time_.

"Umi, I …" the call was weak, the call was soft. "I'm … sorry that I've never been by your side."

 _At least, let me stay like this, 'till morning_ —

.

.

.

Maki was dead as she felt the sleeping woman shuffled in her arms and eventually turned to the back. Her pair of amber was wide, alarmed and awake, while she could feel that her own heart shot up from the ribcage.

The silence was heavier than ever.

"N-No, you don't need to apologize," she managed to laugh, a bit. "You did your best as a doctor, after all."

"But I … I didn't pay much attention to you." Maki confided, her gaze didn't wander from the calm, serene amber, she didn't want to. She needed to let it out, she needed to treasure every second, she would never stray away from her feelings. "I'm always at home late, and you were … supporting me all the time without saying any words about yourself, I-I'm a fool, Umi."

Umi bit her lips, words died in her throat.

"Can I … stay like this?" Maki nuzzled, close.

However, Umi pulled herself, much to Maki's surprise. The blue-haired woman sat up on the bed, gesturing Maki to do the same. Maki didn't cease to voice anything, she studied Umi close to see whether the woman was angry because she was too slow to realize, or something like Umi would pull herself, far for her to reach.

As her brain screamed negatively, deeper and deeper, Umi's touch to her right hand shook her to the reality. She was frozen still, while Umi traced her fingers along her hand and stopped, gripped the palm of Maki's hand gently.

She brought Maki's hand upwards and inserted a ring to her ring finger.

"I'm not … good at this," Umi's voice quivered. "Nishikino Maki, will you marry me?"

There was another brief of silence, Umi's uncertainty grew as she let go off her hand. Maki's face showed nothing beside a blink or two. She was about to take the ring back from Maki's finger, when Maki circled her arms and pushed her down to the bed. Umi was going to ask if there was something wrong with the way she said all of those surprise proposal, when a searching lips met hers.

"Of course I will, idiot, don't ever think that I would reject you."

—The series of tender kisses continued, as the gleam of the sapphire reflected the happy couple enjoyed their own moments of bliss.


End file.
